Introduction
| It’s currently the spring of 2021 and it’s been a few weeks since Wizards of the Coast released their newest plane in the lore of Magic the Gathering, Strixhaven. All the best magic casters gather here where we can find the largest library in the multiverse as well as the five colleges of Prismari, Witherbloom, Quandrix, Lorehold, and our college of the day, Silverquill, which Wizards describes as follows:
“Wielding the magic of words, Silverquill students are stylish, intimidating, and tirelessly competitive. These mages are born leaders with razor-sharp wit and natural charisma that can be used for good or for ill.”
The chosen familiar of these quick witted wizards and warlocks is the Inkling usually of the 2/1 with Flying variety that the card Inkling Summoning describes as follows:
“Think of an insult so vicious, so vulgar, that you hesitate to speak it alound. The strongest, most aggressive inklings are born from such scorn.”
To wrap up our overview of Silverquill, check out our showcase card of the day, Spiteful Squad, that I believe encapsulates the spirit of this cut throat and competitive college.
Review
I was pleased to see only 6 duplicate cards in this themed booster pack as I prefer to play Brawl or Commander over Standard among the Magic of the Gathering formats. We’re also graced with the cheap and fun to play legendary creature, Killian, Ink Duelist, to serve as your commander. Overall there was a lot of synergy. Several humans, wizards, warlocks, and tons of spells that targeted creatures (which Killian makes cheaper). To serve as a control for my play testing, I finished this deck out with several Myr spells (a simple artifact crearure tribal group) and some special lands that I had laying around. I played way more games with this fast acting deck than any of the other themed boosters that I bought and won probably 7 out of the 9 one-on-one games that I played against consisting of a Korvold deck from the Throne of Eldraine block, the other themed boosters from Strixhaven, and several decks that my friends put together. Where this deck started to far apart was in larger multiplayer games consistly of 3, 4, or even 5 players. After you play most of your removal spells this deck doesn’t have much going on, but overall I had I lot of fun with this Silverquill themed booster. It was a welcome change to my usual play style.
Simplified List
Creatures (11)
x1 – Killian, Ink Duelist (Legendary)
x2 – Owlin Shieldmage
x1 – Arrogant Poet
x1 – Eager First-Year
x1 – Star Pupil
x1 – Thunderous Orator
x1 – Tenured Inkcaster
x1 – Promising Duskmage
x1 – Spiteful Squad
x1 – Silverquill Apprentice
Artifacts (1)
x1 – Zephyr Boots
Enchantments (0)
Instants (13)
x2 – Plumb the Forbidden
x1 – Defend the Campus
x1 – Show of Confidence
x1 – Lash of Malice
x1 – Flunk
×1 – Professor’s Warning
x1 – Fracture
x1 – Crushing Disappointment
x1 – Beaming Defiance
x1 – Baleful Mastery
x1 – Umbral Juke
x1 – Defend the Campus
Sorceries (8)
x1 – Rise of Extra (Learn)
x2 – Inkling Summoning (Lesson)
x3 – Exhilarating Elocution
x1 – Mage Hunters’ Onslaught
x1 – Humiliate
Lands (2)
x2 – Silverquill Campus
Expanded List
Creatures (11)
| ×1 – Killian, Ink Duelist [Cost: 1 Plains, 1 Swamp] | Legendary Creature – Human Warlock (Uncommon) Lifelink, Menace Spells you cast that target a creature cost 2 Generic mana less to cast. |
| x2 – Owlin Shieldmage [Cost: 3 Generic, 1 Plains, 1 Swamp] | Creature – Bird Warlock (Common) Flying Ward-Pay 3 life. (Whenever this creature becomes the target of a spell or ability an opponent controls, counter it unless that player pays 3 life.) |
| x1 – Arrogant Poet [Cost: 1 Generic, 1 Swamp] | Creature – Human Warlock (Common) Whenever Arrogant Poet attacks, you may pay 2 life. If you do, it gains flying until end of turn. |
| x1 – Eager First-Year [Cost: 1 Generic, 1 Plains] | Creature – Human Wizard (Common) Magecraft – Whenever you cast or copy an instant or sorcery spell, Eager First-Year gets +1/+0 until end of turn. |
| x1 – Star Pupil [Cost: 1 Plains] | Creature – Human Wizard (Common) Magecraft – Whenever you cast or copy an instant or sorcery spell, Eager First-Year gets +1/+0 until end of turn. |
| x1 – Thunderous Orator [Cost: 1 Generic, 1 Plains] | Creature – Human Wizard (Uncommon) Magecraft – Whenever you cast or copy an instant or sorcery spell, Eager First-Year gets +1/+0 until end of turn. |
| x1 – Tenured Inkcaster [Cost: 4 Generic, 1 Swamp] | Creature – Vampire Warlock (Uncommon) When Tenured Inkcaster enters the battlefield, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature. Whenever a creature you control with a +1/+1 counter on it attacks, each opponent loses 1 life and you gain 1 life. |
| x1 – Promising Duskmage [Cost: 2 Generic, 1 Swamp] | Creature – Human Warlock (Common) When Promising Duskmage dies, if it had a +1/+1 counter on it, draw a card. |
| x1 – Spiteful Squad [Cost: 2 Generic, 1 Plains, 1 Swamp] | Creature – Human Warlock (Common) Deathtouch Spiteful Squad enters the battlefield with two +1/+1 counters on it. When Spiteful Squad dies, put its counters on target creature you control. |
| x1 – Silverquill Apprentice [Cost: 1 Plains, 1 Swamp] | Creature – Human Warlock (Uncommon) Magecraft – Whenever you cast or copy an instant or sorcery spell, target creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn. |
Artifacts (1)
| x1 – Zephyr Boots [Cost: 1 Generic] | Artifact – Equipment (Uncommon) Equipped creature has flying. Whenever equipped creature deals combat damage to a player, draw a card, then discard a card. Equuip, Pay 2 Generic mana: (Attach to a target creature you control. Equip only as a sorcery.) |
Instants (13)
| x2 – Plumb the Forbidden [Cost: 1 Generic, 1 Swamp] | Instant (Uncommon) As an addition cost to cast this spell, you may sacrifice one or more creatures. When you do, copy this spell for each creature sacrificed this way. You draw a card and you lose 1 life. |
| x1 – Defend the Campus [Cost: 3 Generic, 1 Plains] | Instant (Common) Choose one – • Creatures you control get +1/+1 until end of turn. • Destroy target creature with power 4 or greater. |
| x1 – Show of Confidence [Cost: 1 Generic, 1 Plains] | Instant (Uncommon) When you cast this spell, copy it for each other instant and sorcery spell you’ve cast this turn. You may choose new targets for the copies. Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature. It gains vigilance until end of turn. |
| x1 – Lash of Malice [Cost: 1 Swamp] | Instant (Common) Target creature gets +2/-2 until end of turn. |
| x1 – Flunk [Cost: 1 Generic, 1 Swamp] | Instant (Uncommon) Target creature gets -X/-X until end of turn, where X is 7 minus the number of cards in that creature’s controller’s hand. |
| X1 – Professor’s Warning [Cost: 1 Swamp] | Instant (Common) Choose one – • Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature. • Target creature gains indestructible until end of turn. (Damage and effects that say “destroy” don’t destroy it.) |
| x1 – Fracture [Cost: 1 Plains, 1 Swamp] | Instant (Uncommon) Destroy target artifact, enchantment, or planeswalker. |
| x1 – Crushing Disappointment [Cost: 3 Generic, 1 Swamp] | Instant (Common) Each player loses 2 life. You draw two cards. |
| x1 – Beaming Defiance [Cost: 1 Generic, 1 Plains] | Instant (Common) Target creature you control gets +2/+2 and gains hexproof until end of turn. (It can’t be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control.) |
| x1 – Baleful Mastery [Cost: 3 Generic, 1 Swamp] | Instant (Rare) You may pay 1 Generic mans & 1 Swamp rather than pay this spell’s mana cost. If 1 Generic mana & 1 Swamp was paid to cast this spell, an opponent draws a card. Exile target creature or planeswalker. |
| x1 – Umbral Juke [Cost: 2 Generic, 1 Swamp] | Instant (Uncommon) Choose one – • Target player sacrifices a creature or planeswalker. • Create a 2/1 white and black Inkling creature token with flying. |
| x1 – Defend the Campus [Cost: 3 Generic, 1 Plains] | Instant (Common) Choose one – • Creatures you control get +1/+1 until end of turn. • Destroy target creature with power 4 or greater. |
Sorceries (8)
| x2 – Inkling Summoning [Cost: 1 Generic, 1 Plains or Swamp, 1 Plains or Swamp] | Sorcery – Lesson (Common) Create a 2/1 white and black Inkling creature token with flying. |
| x3 – Exhilarating Elocution [Cost: 2 Generic, 1 Plains, 1 Swamp] | Sorcery (Common) Put two +1/+1 counters on target creature you control. Other creatures you control get +1/+1 until end of turn. |
| x1 – Rise of Extus [Cost: 4 Generic, 1 Plains or Swamp, 1 Plains or Swamp] | Sorcery (Common) Exile target creature. Exile up to one target instant or sorcery card from a graveyard. Learn. (You may reveal a Lesson card you own from outside the game and put it into your hand, or discard a card to draw a card.) |
| x1 – Mage Hunters’ Onslaught [Cost: 2 Generic, 2 Swamps] | Sorcery (Common) Destroy target creature or planeswalker. Whenever a creature blocks this turn, its controller loses 1 life. |
| x1 – Humilate [Cost: 1 Plains, 1 Swamp] | Sorcery (Uncommon) Target opponent reveals their hand. You choose a nonland card from it. That player discards that card. Put a +1/+1 counter on a creature you control. |
Lands (2)
| x2 Silverquill Campaus | Land (Common) Silverquill Campus enter the battlefield tapped. Tap: Add 1 White or 1 Black to your mana pool. Pay 4 Generic mana, Tap: Scry 1. |
Quick Upgrades
— Author: TBryantS
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